Silo construction.



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SILO CONSTRUCTION. APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 1o, 1908.

. Patented May 11, 1909.

lowzeyg [NVE/v70@ (3 TS) rumbcxugh Wfm/ESSES UNITED sTATasI PATENT oFF-TCE.

` OLIVER BRUINIBAUGH, OF LOUISVILLE, OHIO.

4sILo coNs'rnc'rIoN..

Appncauonsied Noyegmber 1 0, l1908. -se'riai no. 461,997.

.ful Improvements in Silo Construction; and

, I do hereby declare the following to'be a fnll',

clear, and'exact description. of the invention,

. such as will enable others skilled in the art to securinlg'l.

l pointed out in theclairn.

i so

which it appertains vto make and use the same. q' i My invention -relates to new and useful im rovements in silo constructions and my obJect is to lprovide suitable plastic blocks from which. the `walls ofthe silo 'are constructed. I A further object is to provide means forthe' blocks together. Y A st further' object is to provide a suitable seal -for the joints between the blocks.

A further object is to rovide means for securing a closure over t e Yopening -in the silo and a still further'objeet is to provide means for securing a ladder,l to the outer face ofthesilo. Other objects and advantages will be here inafter referred to and more .particularly In'- the accompxanying rawins which are made apartof t is application, igure 1 is a.. fragmentary erspective view of the'lower ortion of a si o showing the closure removed romthe opening therein. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the closure in position in the opening. Fig. 3 is 4a sectional view as seen online 3-3, Fig. 2. ,Fi .-4 is a sectional view as seen on line L1 --49 ig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectinnalview as lseen on line 5,5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is adetail perspective view of two of the Vblocks `employed for constructing the Walls of the-silo showing the manner of securing the same together;l Fig. 7 is a perspective viewofone of the lor-.king clips removed, and, Fig'. 8v is a detail sectional view showing a means of securing the locking clips in posi. tion-'on the blocks.

Referringto 'the drawings inA which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts Vthroughout the several views, 1 indicates the blocks from which thesilo is con' strncted, said blocks being preferably formed i in segments ofci-rcles so that when they are" assembled together,a com lete` circle will be Specification of LettersPatet.

. to'provide a solid wall and ,means of locking cli formed and in' order to pro uce an extremely Patented May 1'1, 1909.

cheap construction, aswell as durable construction, the blocks are preferably molded of clay and burned in the usual manner, said blocks being provided with verticalopenings 2 toprovide air spaces as Weight of the blocks.l A

' In molding the blocks `1,.the openings 2 are preferably formed adjacent the ends and well-as'to-lessen the -centerofthe blocks, thereby providing end Walls 3 and reinforcing :partitions Lfein the length of the blocks and 1n constructing the silo, a sufIicient number of the blocks are placed end'to end to form a complete circle, the meetin ends and edges of the blocks having l gas ets. 5 introduced "therebetween 1prevent leakage between the jointsof the b ocks., The end Walls 3 of the blocks are preferably provided with recesses 6, the recesses in the two meet ihg ends being so' arran ed as to aline with each other when the bloc s are roperly positioned and at this point the gas ets 5 are provided on their opposite faces with -ribs7, which ribs are adapted to extend into said recesses and prevent the gaskets-from leaving their positions between the blocks. After the first tier'of blocks have been properly arranged, V they are securely locked together by erably formed of t e saine material as the blocks and adapted to be introduced over the upper edges of the-.meetin end walls of each air of blocks, the channe s 9 of the clips bey111g of sufficient lde thas to allow the dependin edges of the c ips t extend a considerabe'dstaneealong the end walifs'itliereby forming a .permanent lock for the. blocks.

After the lockingsclips are thus placed on the first tier of bloc henext tier is placed in position and so arranged that the ends of the locks in the second tier will meet midway of the -length of the blocks of .the first tier, the lclips'S extending into the central opening of 'the second tier of blocks, it being understood that the joints between-the ends of the blocksv in each tier are to be staggered with relation s 8, whichclips 'are prefwev to the joints betweenthe ends of the blocksV 'of the adjacent tiers. l

An opening 1() is preferably formed adjaf cent the lower' end 'of the silo, in which is placed a frame 11, said frame being securely held in position in the opening by introducing -bolts or the like l2 throu l hV the end walls of the -blocks surrounding t 1e opening and.

through the side pieces of the frame, ,the width of the frame being preferably less than the thickness of the wall to provide an oiiset 13, in which offset is placed the edges of a closure 14 and the oflset portion is at the linner edge of the frame, the pressure of the contents of the silo will prevent the closure from accidentally leaving its position. The closure, however, lis positively secured 1n place by extending bars 15 across the opening, the ends of which bars are seated in keepers 16 carried by the side pieces 'of the frame 1 and the closure is fastened to the bar 15 by means of bolts 17 and by placing nuts 18 on the outer ends of the bolts 17, the

closure 14 may be drawnagainst the inner edge of thel frame 11 with sufficient pressure -to prevent leakage between the closure and the frame and completely seal the opening 10 and .it will further be seen that by making the offset 13 of equal depth with the thick- 'bolts extendin ness of the closure 14,.,the contour of the inner wall of the silo will be uninterrupted when the closure is in position.

The openings in the'end of the blocki through which the bolts 12 extend are forme while the blocks are in a green state and to prevent the pressure of the headed end of the bolt from crushing or breaking the end Walls of the blocks through which they'exe ten'd, said headed ends of the bolts are provided with washers 19 preferably of Wood, the heads 2O of the bolts being countersunk in the washers to prevent the bolts from turning While the nuts are turned onto the threaded ends thereof. I have also provided means for securing a ladder tothe outer face ofthe silo,-which consists in forining holes 21 through the outer walls of a portion ofthe b1ocks,`through which are introduced bolts 22, the inner-ends of said through washers 23 and v have nuts24 t ereon, While the outer ends of the bolts 22 areprvided with hooks 25, which are adapted to engage. therungs 26 of the ladder 27 and by lacing the side rails of the ladder against t e outer face of the silo Wall and turning the nuts24 onto the bolts 22, after the hooks have been engaged withV the rungs, said ladder will be securely' -clamped in position.

The bolts employed for holding the frame 11 and ladder 27 in position, are introduced through the openings inthe blocks as the Wall is built up, lsaid frame and ladder being first placed in position vand the bolts successively introduced in pla'ce as the height of the Wall increases. i

In Fig. 8 of the Adrawings I have shown a means for locking the' clips 8 in position over the end Walls 3, which consists in forming y grooves 28 on the inner face of the'sidewalls of the ,blocks 1 and a similar 'depression 29 at the ends of the locking clips 8, theA de` material.

pressions 29 being formed at the upper edge ofthe clips and after the clip has been placed in position over the abutting end Walls 3, the grooves and cooperating depressions are to be filled with any suitable foi'iji'ofvplastic material 30 and it will be readiljsefeiithat as soon as the filling has properly hardened,

it forms a perfect block between the clip and walls ofthe block.

In constructing the silo, the `first tier of yblocks are properly assembled and thel sealing gasket 10a applied over the upper surface ofthe blocks, the sealing gasket between the ends of theiirst tier having been applied when the blocks were assembled .together and it will be understood that said gasket is preferably constructed of plastic material,

although'other substances may be used if desired. The locking clips are then applied to their respective parts and the second tier of blocks laced in position over the first tier, the'joints at the ends of the second tier .of blocks being preferably located at the longitudinal center of the blocks in the first tier of blocks and after the second tier of blocks are placed in position, the cli s are secured in position over the end wa ls by applying the fillings 30 if' that form of clip and block shown in Fig. 8, is employed. As

the tiers of blocks are built up., the bolts 12- and 22 are successively placend through the openings in the blocks and applied to their intended use and although I have shown and described but one of the openings l10, it lwill vbe clearly understood that any number of the openings may be provided, as desired.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an extremely strong and durable structure and. by employing vitrified blocks and introducing the gaskets as shown, the Walls of the silo will be im ervious to heat and moisture andthe ensi age will be preserved far more satisfactorily than could be accomplished withwsilos constructed from other and that it will not require the usual form of bands to support the wall and further that in view of the solidity of the wall, the silo will withstand the effects of storms without being injured.

W hat I'claim is:

A silo construction comprisin the com#l It will further be seen that the4 f weight of the blocks will be materially re duced by forming the openings therethrough ame being less vthan the thickness of frame, washers at t e inner ends ofthe bolts `freme and means tov clamp the c osure in 'v Witnesses:

'engagement Withthe frame and seal the J. L. COY,

adapted to'v prevent breakage ofthe bl'oeksta. InV testimony whereof I have sig'r'rev my i the edges of the closure entering sai offset twoA subscribing Witnesses. and resting against the inner ed e of the OLIVER BRUNBAUGH.

curved closure adapted to close the o ening, name to this specification in the presence of openmg. e FLORA Cor. 

